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John Todhunter
John Todhunter (December 30, 1839 - October 25, 1916) was an Irish poet and playwright. Life Todhunter was born in Dublin, the eldest son of Thomas Harvey Todhunter, a Quaker merchant of English origin. He was educated at Quaker schools in York and Mountmellick. He attended Trinity College Medical School, where he studied medicine. He also clerked for physician William Stokes while studying. Todhunter earned a Bachelor of Medicine in 1867, and a Doctorate of Medicine degree in 1871. In 1870 (one year prior to his M.D.) he became a Professor of English Literature at Alexandra College, Dublin. In 1875 he resigned from that position, and travelled to Egypt and several places in Europe.. He married Dora L. Digby in 1879. In 1881, he finally settled in London, where his home in Bedford Park, Chiswick, was located in a small community of writers and artists, who included W.B. Yeats. He was involved in the founding of the Irish Literary Society there. His tragedy, A Black Cat, received only 1 performance, on 8 December 1893 at the Opera Comique, by the Independent Theatre Society (a private club formed to forestall censorship by the Lord Chamberlain's Office). Obituary The source of this obituary is unknown; It is dated 27/10/16, and attributed to "Times", which likely refers to a local Australian newspaper. The death of Dr. John Todhunter took place on Wednesday at his residence in Bedford Park. He was born in Dublin in 1839, his father being a merchant of English origin and Quaker ancestry. He was educated at York School and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he won the Vice-Chancellor's prize for English verse three times. He took his M.D. in Dublin and practised medicine for a couple of years, but gave it up for travel, study, and literary work. He was Professor of English Literature at Alexandra-College, Dublin, from 1870 to 1874. He then made his permanent home in London, where his house became a resort for artists and men of letters. During recent years informal "symposia" were held there about once a fortnight, when friends gathered at his fireside to discuss poetry and philosophy. Todhunter's first volume was a collection of narrative and lyrical poems entitled "Laurella" (1876). Grace, tenderness, and melody marked these poems; in later years he did much stronger work under the influence of ancient Celtic literature, to the study of which he was led by the memorable rendering of the Cuchullin legend published in 1878 by Standish O'Grady. The "Banshee" (1888) and "Three Bardic Talcs" (1896) contain the best of Todhunter's work in poetry. Three plays of his have been acted with success; one of them, The Black Cat, produced by the Independent Theatre in 1893, was a factor in the revival of the literary drama. His translation of Heine's "Buch der Lieder" is perhaps the best complete English version of a work than which none more irresistibly attracts or more cruelly eludes the art of the translator. He was also author of a few brief prose works, including a "Life of Sarsfield" and a "Study of Shelley." At one time he was a familiar figure at the Savile Club, but for some years his delicate health and his constitutional hatred of noise and bustle kept him far from town life. He was a man of striking appearance, and the sweetness, unselfishness, and loyalty of his character gave to intimacy with him a charm and fragrance which his friends will not easily forget. Recognition While at Trinity, Todhunter won the Vice-Chancellor's prize for English verse in 1864, 1865 and 1866, and the Gold Medal of the Philosophical Society in 1866 for an essay. 2 of his poems, "Maureen" and "Aghadoe", were included in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900."Maureen", Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch), Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919. Bartleby.com, Web, May 12, 2012. "Aghadoe," Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch), Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919. Bartleby.com, Web, May 12, 2012. His poem "Aghadoe" was set to music by Irish folksinger Liam Clancy.Frank McNslly, "Rebel balladeer without a cause – An Irishman’s Diary about John Todhunter, Irish Times, February 7, 2015. Web, Mar. 23, 2017. Publications Poetry * Laurella, and other poems. London: Henry S. King, 1876. * Alcestis: A dramatic poem. London: C. Kegan Paul, 1879. * The True Tragedy of Rienzi, Tribune of Rome. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1881. * Forest Songs, and other poems. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1881. * The Banshee, and other poems. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1888. * Three Irish Bardic Tales: Being metrical versions of the three tales known as The three sorrows of story-telling. London: J.M. Dent / Chicago: Way & Williams, 1896. * Sounds and Sweet Airs. London: Elkin Mathews, 1905. *''From the Land of Dreams. Dublin: Talbot, 1918. * ''Selected Poems by John Todhunter (edited by D.L. Todhunter and Alfred Perceval Graves). London: Elkin Mathews & Marrot, 1929.Selected Poetry of John Todhunter (1839-1916), Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto, UToronto.ca, Web, Dec. 24, 2011. Plays * Helena in Troas. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1886. * A Sicilian Idyll: A pastoral play in two scenes. London: Elkin Mathews, 1890. *''How Dreams Come True: A dramatic sketch in two scenes''. London: Imprynted by Bemrose & Sons, 1890. * The Black Cat: A play in three acts . London: Henry, 1895. * A Comedy of Sighs (1894) *''Isolt of Ireland, a legend in a prologue and three acts, {&} The Poison Flower. London & Toronto: J.M. Dent, 1927. Non-fiction *''The theory of the beautiful. A "Saturday lecture", delivered in the Museum building, Trinity College, Dublin. Dublin, W. McGee, 1872. * A study of Shelley. London: C. Kegan Paul, 1880. *''Notes on Shelley's Unfinished Poem, "The Triumph of life". London: privately printed, 1887. * ''Shelley and the Marriage Question. London: privately printed, 1889. * The Life of Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan. London: T.F. Unwin / Dublin: Sealy, Bryers & Walker, 1895. *''Essays. London: Elkin Matthews, 1920. Translated * Heinrich Heine, ''Book of Songs '' Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1907. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:John Todhunter, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 1, 2013. See also * List of Irish poets * List of English-language playwrights References External links ;Poems *"Aghadoe" in An Anthology of Irish Verse]" *"The Banshee" in ''A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895 * John Todhunter in the Oxford Book of English Verse: "Aghadoe," "Maureen". * Selected Poetry of John Todhunter (1839-1916) (2 poems) at Representative Poetry Online. * John Todhunter at Sonnet Central * John Todhunter at AllPoetry (7 poems) * John Todhunter at PoemHunter (7 poems). ;Books * ;Etc. *The papers of Todhunter at the University of Reading Category:Irish poets Category:1839 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Irish writers Category:People from County Dublin Category:19th-century Irish people Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Irish dramatists and playwrights